Letters from the Executive Director

Letters from the Executive Directors

Dear Sisters,

I hope this letter finds you well, it’s hard to believe another fall semester is upon us once again. The fall season has always been my favorite. Between the fall activities, cooler weather, my birthday, and the fall holidays, fall just brings me joy (usually).

A year ago I had been struggling to find the joy in things, whether it was a coffee out, my favorite chocolate, or cozying up with a book. I was just going through the motions. It wasn’t something I picked up on right away, my friends and family probably noticed before I did that I was not happy. Once I realized that I wasn’t happy it took me longer to realize why I was; in hindsight it was way more obvious. I was working 50 hours a week in a customer service job, taking graduate classes, trying to oversee and run the sorority, and balance my personal life. Everyone wanted a piece of my attention and my time; in order to pass my classes and keep the sorority running I was up until late working on both and then I was exhausted for work the next day, which consisted of solving problems for people all day. I was stretching myself so thin that I was making myself miserable

It wasn’t until about late January that I was able to figure out what the issue was and asked for help. Recognizing and admitting that you need help in any aspect of your life can be very scary and leave you feeling vulnerable; to be honest, a big part of me did feel like a failure for not being able to do everything for everyone in my life. In truth, asking for help and knowing your limits is a sign of strength, not of weakness; I wish I would have realized that sooner. The position of Executive Director is a full time job, so trying to manage it with my professional career, school, and personal life was too much to juggle.When I finally opened up and expressed to the board how I was feeling burnt out and not able to keep up, no one judged me or called me a failure. No, instead they expressed concern for how I was feeling and how they could best fix what was causing me to feel that way. Ultimately we decided that we would return to a Co-Executive Director model, essentially splitting the position in half going forward.

In June, the board welcomed Courtney Stevens into the role of Co-Executive Director alongside me. Working alongside my best friend in this leadership role has reinvigorated my Kappa spirit. Now, between the two of us we are able to give the position the time it deserves. It has been a dream come true working alongside someone who not only inspires me but also isn’t afraid to challenge me to think in new ways or remind me from time to time that I need to rebalance my priorities. I’m truly excited for what will come next for our organization.

In Kappa,

Amanda Roberge Co-Executive Director

Dearest Sisters,

My name is Courtney Stevens and this year I will be serving as CoExecutive Director of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, alongside Amanda Roberge. I am an alumna of the Kappa Upsilon chapter at UMass Lowell. I joined Kappa in the Fall of 2013. I had always wanted to be in a sorority, but I never really knew what a huge impact it would have on me as a person and really on my life in general. I met Kappa Upsilon at Club Fair freshman year and I came to my first rush event on a complete whim, alone. I didn't join with my friends or my roommates, I made the decision purely because I loved the sisters and it was something that I truly wanted to be a part of.

During my years as an active member of Kappa Upsilon, I held a variety of positions and created 2 new positions for our chapter. I also re-founded the Kappa Upsilon Alumni Chapter and helped strengthen our relationships with older sisters from our chapter. Getting to meet the members who came before me was one of the reasons why I decided to join the National Board. Many of our alumni shared their experiences serving on the Board and I couldn’t help but feel that I had more to give Kappa.

I joined the National Board in the spring of 2018. I have sat on many different committees, but my passion was serving our chapters. I enjoyed being a chapter consultant because I got to spend time connecting with my sisters. I loved being able to support them as they worked together to overcome difficult challenges, to watch them grow into incredible leaders, and to celebrate their accomplishments, no matter how big or small they may be.

It has long been a goal of mine to become the Executive Director of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, but I certainly did not see it coming in the same season that I started graduate school and held my first fulltime job in the social work field. I planned to wait until I was done with my graduate program and more solidly established in my career but the universe had other plans. When Amanda expressed that she wanted additional support in her role, my instinct was to step up and serve as the Executive Director alongside someone who I deeply respect and have the privilege of calling my sister and best friend. She has been an incredible support in teaching me the ropes and reminding me that I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind to. I cannot wait to see what we are able to accomplish together.

As Executive Director I hope to strengthen our bonds of sisterhood, to help us hold our traditions close to our hearts, to make sure that our members’ voices are heard, and to make sure that at the end of the day you all know that you can turn to your sisters whenever you need support. May The Spirit Never Die.

In Kappa,

Courtney Stevens Co-Executive Director